MCH 3 at STJ 2
Martin Jones made 32 saves to snap his personal nine-game losing streak as the Monarchs defeated the IceCaps 3-2 Friday at Mile One Centre. Jones made a plethora of huge saves while Tyler Toffoli scored twice in the game’s opening five minutes to pace the Monarchs. Spencer Machacek and Ray Sawada scored for St. John’s, which fell to just 6-10-0-1 in 17 home contests. Eddie Pasquale made 26 saves between the pipes for the IceCaps in a losing cause. | FULL RECAP

ICECAPS NOTES

QUICK HITS
Both the IceCaps and Monarchs dressed an “O’Neill” wearing the number 23 Friday night (Will for St. John’s and Brian for Manchester)… F Max Macenauer celebrated his 24th birthday Friday… The IceCaps have scored five goals or more just three times this season after accomplishing the feat 12 times last season… STJ is just 3-16-0-1 when allowing three goals or more this season… Defencemen Ben Chiarot and Will O’Neill both scored their first goals of the season last Saturday at SYR. O’Neill’s third period marker tied the game and sent it to overtime, where Chiarot notched the game winner… STJ was held to its fewest shots on goal in a period (2) in its Nov. 7 matchup with MCH… D Zach Redmond had a team season-high 20 PIMs Nov. 7 at MCH… STJ is just 5-6-0-1 in Saturday games this season and 5-9-0-0 in the second of back-to-back games… The IceCaps are 5-4-0-1 in games following a home loss.

STREAKS and LEADERSF Max Macenauer’s four-game point streak (1G, 3A) was snapped in last night’s loss… F Spencer Machacek took over the team scoring lead (18 points) with his first period goal last night. Just prior to Friday’s game, Machacek was given credit for an assist in last Saturday’s win at SYR, which put him into a tie for the most points with D Paul Postma, D Derek Meech, and F Jason Jaffray. Later in last night’s affair, Jaffray added an assist in the third period to reclaim a share of the team scoring lead and now has assists in consecutive games… Machacek and F Ray Sawada’s goals Friday moved both into a tie with D Zach Redmond for the team lead with eight… G Eddie Pasquale finished the 2012 calendar year with six shutouts, tied for tops in the AHL, and 24 wins, eighth-most in the league.

MONARCHS NOTES

RECENT ACTION
The Manchester Monarchs rallied from a two goal deficit but fell in their annual New Year’s Eve Celebration game to the Worcester Sharks, 3-2, at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Monday night. Sharks F John McCarthy scored with just 1:06 left in regulation time to put Worcester on top for good. F Tanner Pearson had a pair of assists while G Peter Mannino made 15 saves on 18 shots in the loss. F Brandon Kozun and D Thomas Hickey scored for Manchester.

QUICK HITSF Tyler Toffoli’s two-goal effort Friday vaulted him into second place in goals (16) and sixth in points (25) amongst all AHL rookies. Toffoli also ranks third in power play goals (5) and fourth in shots on goal (100)… Despite last night’s victory to snap a personal nine-game losing streak, G Martin Jones’ 13 losses are tied for the second-highest total in the AHL (Eddie Pasquale also has 13)… F Andy Andreoff, who was assessed a match penalty for a hit to head on Sharks F Curt Gogol on Dec. 31, was subsequently suspended three games by the league and will miss both games in St. John’s… F Richard Clune ranks fourth in the AHL in major penalties with 14… D Slava Voynov is second amongst defencemen in shots on goal with 105. The Russian-born blueliner had five shots on goal in last night’s win… Manchester set season highs for power play goals (3) and combined penalty minutes (61) during its meeting with St. John’s back on Nov. 7 at Verizon Wireless Arena… F Jordan Nolan is the son of former NHL bench boss Ted Nolan… Four current Monarchs players won Stanley Cup rings with the Los Angeles Kings last season: Voynov, Nolan, F Dwight King and F Andrei Loktionov.

FAMILIAR FACE
G Peter Mannino, who began last season with the IceCaps and recorded the franchise’s first ever shutout with a 1-0 blanking of the Monarchs on Oct. 8, 2011, sits fourth in the league in goals-against average (2.09) and tied for fifth in save percentage (.927). Last season, Mannino played in 10 games with St. John’s, posting a 4-5-0 record with a 2.77 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.

LISTEN TO EVERY ICECAPS GAME LIVE
Listen to every IceCaps game this season online at www.stjohnsicecaps.com by clicking the ‘Listen Live’ link on the homepage. Play-by-play broadcaster Brian Rogers brings you all the action on the ice, including a pregame show that starts 30 minutes before the drop of the puck.

Fans can also listen on the radio at 930AM This Is Newfoundland Labrador. And, watch all the games streaming live online at www.ahllive.com!